FDA to crack down on food additives industry

TIGHTER LEASH:：Each firm involved in food additives must register their company, while each product must be recorded under the new food safety act amendments

By Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

Tue, Feb 18, 2014 - Page 4

Food additive manufacturers, processers and importers have been served with a notice by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requiring them to register with health authorities by May 1, the FDA said yesterday.

The move is in accordance with the newly amended Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法).

A string of food scandals involving problematic additives prompted lawmakers to carry out a food law overhaul, aiming to put food additive manufacturers and related businesses on a tighter leash.

The FDA said yesterday that by May 1, food additive manufacturers, processers and importers must complete their registration with health authorities, while the deadline for food additive sellers is Oct. 1.

Another announcement would be made soon to introduce the new regulations on registration details for food additive products, the FDA said.

“The amendment [to the Act] allows us to undertake ‘registration management,’ in which all food additive manufacturers, processors or sellers have to register their company names and the services provided,” she said.

“What also needs to be registered are the food additives they [manufacture, process, import or sell]. This is to say that we will have all of the food additives used by the industry and consumed by Taiwanese listed and subject to supervision,” she added.

Chiang said that the new measures would allow the source of substandard food products to be traced quickly in any future incidents of tainted food.